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Noise from Pacemaker

I am wondering if anyone else can describe to me what the sound the pacemaker makes when the battery is low. I have a guidant pacemaker model 1290 for little over 2 years and last night I heard a sound coming from my chest. My last visit to see the Tech was in July and I my battery history shows I have over 5 years left. I called Boston Scientific/Guidant this morning and the technician stated that my pacemaker does not make any noise when the battery is low. Has anyone else had the same thing h...

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Today is my "Birthday!"

Well, my pacer and I turned one today! Hurray! My husband was so cute...he gave me a "birthday" card this morning then brought home a cake this afternoon that he made in the school's FCS room! It even had a number 1 candle. How sweet! What blessing to be alive another year and to have another shot at life. That IS something to celebrate. And I will every year. I hope you all do, too, when it's your 'birthday.'

I am a true miracle. Last year when I blacked out at school, my hu...

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Pain in Left Arm due to ICD Placement?

Hello, I am also new to this forum and hope this is not unusual but I am posting on behalf of my mother. I've been reading some of the other postings and am writing about my mother's nightmarish ordeal in hopes of getting some help for her. On top of other symptoms, she has an excruciation pain in her left arm and we think the ICD may be affecting the nerves in her arm. Is this possible and if so, what can we do about it?

My mother had a three lead ICD placed middle of July, 2007 s...

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BaBlocker Please Contact

Reference your recent comment on my AV node ablation. I would appreciate it if you could contact me direct on bayhoecott@yahoo.co.uk Thanyou. Peter.

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Mammograms & pacemakers

Ladies in the group, I was just wondering if anyone has had any problems with getting a mammogram after pacemaker placement?

I just had mine & everything went fine (procedure anyway). I think the main thing to do is to be vocal about having a pacer/icd before they even get started.

I have to tell everyone out there - if something isn't right - get it checked & get your mammograms routinely. My mother is going thru her 2nd round of chemo and radiation. It started out as...

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Magnet and pacer

Someone please help!!! My 7 year old son has had his current pacemaker for 6 years and is due for replacement soon because of cardiomyopthy. He now does call ins every month. Yesterday he had one, all was going well until...I placed his magnet on top of his pacer and he said it hurt. He said he could feel it all the way up in his neck(pacer is in his tummy) and it hurt bad. He asked me to remove it NOW. The technician said the call in looked good but she would report this to his Doc. Has...

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st. jude pacemaker/icd

I am going to get a st. jude pacemaker(bi-vent)/icd installed next week and was wondering if anyone has any advise on the device. Is it good or are other companies better? I am also enrolled in a research study which will either set my pacemaker by the traditional formula or by a new logarhythm set by st jude medical. Also please let me know about any precaustions I should take after getting this device in me. Thanking you........

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PM replaced

This is note to the People who responded to my cry for help,when i was in fear of having my PM repaced.
I just had the surgery this week ,it was not bad at all.
The new PM will last 8-9 years and hope to be around for the next one.
Thank you all again
Ingrid from Texas

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GOOD NEWS

After nearly dying in intensive care in February this year I had a bi-phase synchronising pacemaker fitted with only 2 leads fitted. The third lead to the right atrium was not fitted due to atrial fibrillation. Six weeks later I had a complete AV node ablation blocking the fast signals that were trying to distroy my ventricles. I had to make up my own mind as to whether to go ahead with the AV node ablation as the doctors were sitting on the fence. I had an immediate improvement in my heart func...

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Thank you and Something Else

Hello,

It’s me again. I have a leaning experience I want to pass on but first I have to say thank you so very much to all of you. I expected there would be a few people that would comment because you are familiar with my tales of woe, but the response has been truly overwhelming. I have to say you people surly know how to make an old man feel important. I’ll be glad when we can post pictures so that I can see a picture of all you very nice people.

Now th something else....

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Pacemakers and disability

I work in a paper mill. Lots of huge electric motors, control panels, welding, electronics, etc. I have been told that there are some in the paper industry that have been put on disability because of pacemakers and the proximity of the electical equipment, static electricity, etc. Does anyone know where I could get information on this. I have had a pacemaker since 2005, and am extremely fatiqued all the time. Up until then, and after the pacemaker, I was active. Now, I am simply so tired t...

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shoulder jumping

i've had my PM since 3/8/07........last interogation was
in June i think, everything fine. i got the PM because my heart was
stopping 3-4 seconds, i guess this is sss? anyway last week my PM started jumping in my shoulder like it was beating, but it was
way slower than my pulse at the time. My sister, a LPN walked in the door and it quit, so i never got to show her what was happening.
It happenned again yesterday, and lasted for about a half hour, seems to be related to my...

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Message to unlisted icd incidents

I've experienced multiple incidents where I had the fast heartbeats and the ICD did not register the incident. Finally, I was at work as a teacher, went to the clinic when I felt problems. The nurse called 911 because I had a heart rate of 320 which was documented with a 12 lead EKG by the paramedics. My ICD didn't register the incident, but I finally had a strip to prove my point that these incidents were happening. In addition, being in the hospital while they tried to get it back under contro...

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Could use some Encouragement

Hi everyone! Remember me, the Nervous New Pacee?? Well, just as I thought I might be getting a little more accustomed to the idea of having a pacemaker, it seems I may have developed a complication, and from what I gather by looking on various websites, this might be a doozy!
It seems I have developed a new heart murmur...boy does this sound terrifying and dangerous as well. Anyway, tomorrow I go back to the EP doctor to have an Echocardiogram done.
Any words of encouragement would...

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Up Date On My SOB

Hello Folks,

Many of you have heard me pitching and moaning about being short of breath since back in the spring. Well after countless visits to doctors, I have finally gotten a diagnosis with pictures and confirmation from a second doctor. I have a sagging (or weak) diaphragm on the right side. Seems that (this is my understanding of what they told me and not their exact words) this condition keeps me from being able to inhale as much oxygen as I need for almost any type physical ac...

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pacemaker adjustment problems anyone?

Hey everyone. I have a question - sort of - I just had my pacemaker adjusted today & I need to know if anyone else has experienced this problem.

Today, they increased my minimum BPM from 50 to 70. Shortly after the tech. did this - I started having pain in my arm and I can barely lift it yet this evening. Now, usually after they mess w/pm it takes a few hours for the change to feel normal, but I have never had pain before. I also have a pain in the middle of my shoulder blades....

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Happy Anniversary, Ralph

Ralph is my pacemaker - today is our 1-year anniversary together.

One year and six days ago, I fainted on a commuter train to work and went into what the other passengers thought was a seizure. Once we got downtown, a kind stranger steered me into a cab and took me to the emergency room. She even waited with me until I was fully admitted before going to work.

One year and four days ago I learned that I am a medical anomaly. I have both vasovagal syncope and long QT syndr...

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Please help.

Thank you all for your support and comments. It helps knowing I'm not alone going through this crazy ordeal. Anyway, my question is this: I have had a PM for AV blockage for over 12 years. Last surgery was in Aug 07. I have had chest pains for the past 17 years. I am on no meds, I have low and fast heartrate, but the doctor says there is no reason for me to be having chest pains.

I have what I call "spells" where I can be having a normal day and BAM I have sharp pains in my che...

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medtronics icd shocking experience

Sorry this is so long, but need to vent. Posting this for my husband since he's in the hospital. Husband had a ICD implanted approx 1 year ago. Friday night he was working out of town and his ICD went off 39 times within 3 hours. He was taken by ambulance to a small local hospital and then transported to a larger hospital where a Medtronics rep came and turned it off. There was no indication that there was any cause for it firing. Husband overheard the cardiologist & rep talking that there...

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SHOULDER TO CRY ON

Hi everyone --- thank God for this site and for all of you knowledgable people. I had my PM 09/10/07 almost a month and I went back to my Cardo today. I had a few questions and concerns which I wanted to address with him, so I did just that. I am a nervous/scared type of gal anyway, so of course everything he said to me was really taken to heart. He interogated my PM while I asked if everything looked ok - he then replied I see a little problem there. Of course that response scared me - th...

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Member Quotes

I am not planning on letting any of this shorten my life. I am planning on living a long happy battery operated life. You never know maybe it will keep me alive longer. I sure know one thing I would have been dead before starting school without it.